Simon Brette is a French watchmaker who spent his early career as a restorer of classical Swiss-era movements: Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piguet pocket watches from the early 20th century. The restoration work gave him direct experience of the hand-finishing standards of the best classical houses, and a deep familiarity with movement architecture from before the industrialisation of Swiss watchmaking.
In 2022 Brette launched his own brand with the Chronomètre Artisans, a hand-wound wristwatch with small seconds at 6 o'clock, a hand-engraved balance cock, hand-guilloché dial, and a movement architecture directly inspired by early-20th-century Swiss chronometers. The first release was structured as a subscription series, with collectors committing to their piece before production began, a model similar to the subscription practices of 18th- and 19th-century watchmakers including Abraham-Louis Breguet.
The Chronomètre Artisans launched at approximately €55,000 and the subscription sold out essentially at launch. Hand-finishing quality was immediately compared to the best AHCI-adjacent independents: Akrivia, Voutilainen, Petermann Bédat. Production is small, typically 20-30 watches per year, with Brette personally executing the hand-finishing work alongside a small team.
Subsequent references have extended the Chronomètre Artisans platform with dial and case variants: an enamel dial version, a salmon dial, and a rose-gold case variant. The brand has been commercially successful and is positioned in the same collector circles as the most celebrated modern independents. Simon Brette remains sole watchmaker and owner; the brand operates from France with no retail presence. Retail for standard configurations is approximately €55,000-80,000; secondary-market premiums place actual trade prices at 2-4x retail for early subscription pieces.
